Super League Explained: Why clubs want to breakaway from UEFA, structure of league & more

The footballing world went into a frenzy on Sunday night after top European clubs announced a breakaway competition called Super League, an exclusive league for premier football clubs in Europe. 12 European clubs issued a joint statement saying they are in discussion to start a new league, which will be fully governed by them and will be operated as an independent entity from UEFA and their respective national associations. The announcement has triggered controversy as the clubs, which are part of the plan, generate the majority of the revenue for UEFA, national leagues, and national associations across Europe, and if the breakaway happens, it would cost fortunes to all stakeholders except for the parting teams. 

Which clubs are part of the plan?

According to a joint statement issued by the 12 "Founding Clubs" of the so-called Super League, there are currently 12 members, including six from the English Premier League (EPL), three from the Spanish league, and three from the Italian league. Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur are the premier league teams taking part in the discussions as founding clubs, while Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona are from the Spanish league and Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan from the Italian league. According to reports, two German clubs and a French club are also expected to join the Super League as founding members. 

The structure of Super League

The press release issued by the founding clubs states that the inaugural season will see 20 teams participate from across Europe, which will consist of 15 founding members and 5 rotating clubs. According to the release, the five rotating clubs will qualify annually for the exclusive league based on their achievements in the prior season. The clubs will be divided into two groups of ten participants each and the tournament will start in August. The top three teams from each group will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, while teams finishing fourth and fifth will compete in a two-legged playoff for the remaining spots in the quarter-finals. The final will be held in May at a neutral venue, where the top two teams will compete against each other to win the trophy. 

Why do the clubs want to break away?

The founding clubs of the Super League tournament generate massive revenues, which eventually get distributed amongst UEFA, national associations, and leagues, but only after the teams get their fair share of profit. However, the clubs argue that why the revenue that they generate should be distributed amongst smaller clubs. The parting teams also believe that if they control and run a tournament, they will be able to generate more revenues by adapting to innovative ways of conducting a sporting event and also taking the league to Asia and the Americas, where the teams enjoy a huge fan following. 

UEFA vows to fight back

The announcement of the Super League by top European clubs has not gone down well with UEFA, which has threatened to take legal action against the clubs. UEFA said it will remain united with the English, Spanish, Italian football associations and also FIFA to stop the "cynical project". UEFA feels threatened because the Super League will likely crush the popularity of the Champions League, which is currently considered the alpha of all European football clubs' competition. UEFA also fears that if the league were to happen, the founding members will not participate in the Champions League. 

Fans react

Football fans are currently divided based on the clubs they support as some see it as an opportunity to create a larger fan base and increase revenue share, while others see the league as a dividing factor, which will weaken the existing Champions League. The announcement is largely receiving a positive response from soccer fans all over the world, with many expressing their view on social media platforms. Here are some of the reactions by fans on Twitter. 

How well do founding clubs fare in domestic leagues?

Meanwhile, here is how teams that have agreed to join the Super League fare in their domestic tournaments. Manchester City and Manchester United occupy the number 1 and 2 spots respectively in the English Premier League table, while Chelsea at number 5, Tottenham at number 7, and Arsenal at number 9. In La Liga, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Barcelona sit comfortably at number 1, 2, and 3 positions respectively. While Inter Milan and AC Milan sit at number 1 and 2 spots in Serie A, Juventus takes the fourth position. 

(Image Credit: AP)